Phil Anselmo Talks Possible DOWN Anniversary Tour; Hints At Return Of Kirk Windstein To DOWN [Video]

Philip H. Anselmo is a name synonymous with metal. He has been at the helm of several iconic bands that have broken barriers in the music world. One of the hardest working musicians of the generation Phil is a member of several bands each one just as amazing as the next. Pantera got everything started for the singer back in  1986 when he replaced previous singer Terry Glaze and joined forces with brothers Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell Abbott along with Rex Brown. The band blazed new trails in American Heavy Metal and raised the bar of what was expected in regards to modern bands. Phil also went on to form the illustrious supergroup Down which has featured well known members like Jimmy Bower (Eye Hate God), Kirk Windstein (Crowbar, Kingdom of Sorrow), Rex Brown (Pantera), Pepper Keenan (Corrosion Of Conformity), and Pat Bruders (Goatwhore). As if that wasn’t enough of a workload Phil also has Superjoint (Formerly Superjoint Ritual) in which Jimmy Bower is also a member. In the past few years he has also brought two new bands into the realm with Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, and his black metal project Scour. His work history doesn’t end there as he has also been a part of the bands Arson Anthem, Christ Inversion, Southern Isolation, Viking Crown, Eibon and En Minor as well. Around a year ago Phil also stepped in and took over vocal duties for Mike IX Williams of Eye Hate God when he was ill recuperating from a liver transplant. (Mike is now back with the band and is as healthy as ever). In addition to his various bands Phil also runs and owns the label Housecore Records which has an amazing lineup of bands including Author & PunisherThe Mystick Krewe of ClearlightChild BiteKing ParrotCrowbarWarbeast and various others including some of his own projects. Continue reading

State of the Art – Missouri’s SAVAGELAND [EP Stream]

Hungry and visceral with a hint of southern edge. SavageLand is a beautiful sip of aged bourbon, followed by a punch in the face. Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri they sound more like they are straight from the heart of New Orleans. The band was formed in 2016 and has since released one six song, self-titled EP, with tremendously impressive production value.

Picture groove riffs with guttural stoner vocals. Fans of Crowbar and Corrosion of Conformity meet fans of Baroness and also meet a calloused hard working slide guitar player by a campfire. The EP opens with said slide guitar, and a Mastodon quality riffs. SavageLand crafts these pseudo-stoner anthems with such ease. Down and Pantera influences, too, leak into the blueprints of their songwriting. “Animal Kingdom” has a wiry riff strung through the verses, swelling behind the chorus. The kind of jams to smoke a joint and enjoy a beer to. It’s aggressive but not disruptive.

SavageLand teased the early stages of new material mid 2018, after stating in 2017 they are inactive. Fingers crossed that 2019 will be the year the band gets in gear and releases some new music because this stuff is really something.  

 

State of the Art: Iowa’s BLEEDCHAIN [Track Stream]

Barking vocals, chugging bass and anger. Waterloo, Iowa natives, Bleedchain find balance between new school death metal, old school groove and partying. Keeping the band on tempo, Joe Bartruff on the drums. Scott Carey holds down the low end on bass and vocals. Guitar duo consists of Mike Tucker and Michael Tucker and Lucus Johnston fronts the band.

The band has been around for a little over a decade and have released one demo and two full lengths: 2010’s “Rise of the Goddess” and “Martyrs Throne” from 2016. Bleedchain are hard hitting, fast paced and unforgiving. Experimenting with layered vocals and excessive shredding on top of some NOLA influences, check out the songs, “Viliscas Axe” and “Pile Hammer” Influences from Pantera and DevilDriver are present. Anyone seeking chugging riffs and chugging beer, Bleedchain is the here.

Bleedchain are often playing local gigs in Iowa which can be found on their Facebook page. Listen to their music on ReverbNation.

Approximately 10 Year Old SOILENT GREEN Stash Found!

Most of us metalheads have one thing in common when it comes to collecting things. The large majority of us collect band shirts, and the more rare or obscure the better right? Say no more… PM Star Promotions owner and Soilent Green/Goatwhore vocalist Ben Falgoust have found the motherload of rarities when it comes to shirts. PM Star Promotions which is mostly known for designing and printing custom band merch for bands such as Crowbar, Goatwhore, Superjoint, etc as well as making custom skatedecks for Saint Vitus, Ride For Dime, A Killers Confession. PM Star is starting a new online store where bands can sell older merch and left over tour merch and unique one of kind custom drum heads, skate decks, signed swag. Continue reading

Review: Crowbar – The Serpent Only Lies

14370359_1390185477678157_1289321436013096927_n

The definition of Crowbar in the music world is… HEAVY. The New Orleans sludge masters have consistently put out one heavy record after another. The band has the best possible chemistry among band mates and it shows in their music. Crowbar recently welcomed bassist Todd “Sexy T” Strange back into the fold. Along with his thundering bass lines Todd brings with him his experience from within the band in its earliest days. A few years ago, founder and vocalist/guitarist Kirk Windstein decided to step away from his side project Down and put all his focus on Crowbar. That focus has been a complete success that can be heard on their last release ‘Symmetry In Black‘ and again on the upcoming album ‘The Serpent Only Lies‘ which is set to release on October 28th via eOne Music. Crowbar has become quite iconic. Recently, Metallica released their cover art for their new album and it has a close resemblance to Crowbar’s 1998 release ‘Odd Fellows Rest‘. However, no ones music can mimic the sound of Crowbar. Their sound resonates with metalheads near and far, and there is NONE HEAVIER.

crowbar_theserpentonlylies_cover

Continue reading

CROWBAR Announce New Album ‘The Serpent Only Lies’ [Teaser Video]

crowband

New Orleans sludge masters Crowbar have announced their eleventh new LP titled ‘The Serpent Only Lies’, due out October 28, 2016. “We are so excited about our 11th studio record! The Serpent Only Lies is a powerful follow up.” says frontman and riff lord Kirk Windstein. “Eliran Kantor did a brilliant job with the artwork! Our first release, “Falling While Rising”, is Crowbar at its finest… Kirk couldn’t be more right, the artwork is amazing for the album. Crowbar always sets their standards high and manages to always over achieve, so we expect this release to take the world by storm.  HEAVIER THAN EVER!!!” Continue reading

International Guitar Month: JIMMY BOWER

Photo by: by Ronan Thenadey

Photo by: by Ronan Thenadey

If you are a fan of any New Orleans band you should be thanking Jimmy Bower. Jimmy has been one of the forefathers of metal in Louisiana. You may know him from Eye Hate God, Down or Superjoint Ritual. Jimmy is one of the most celebrated guitar players in heavy metal, and while he is a legend on that instrument he is also a well accomplished drummer as well (as you may have seen in Down). Jimmy has often been called “The Godfather of Southern Metal.” If the iconic bands mentioned above wasn’t enough he also had brief stints in the bands Corrosion of Conformity, and Crowbar. Another band that Jimmy has shredded for was The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight. It was an instrumental project so it allowed our ears to consume even more of Jimmy’s sacred sound. Continue reading